Rugby Union: Williams in full flight

Swansea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Treorchy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

WITH three defeats and no wins on their South American tour and, more importantly, after losing their first league game against Llanelli the week before and having 10 leading players out with injury, Swansea, last season's Heineken League champions, were in dire need of a win against Treorchy, the new boys on the block.

It was particularly worrying to Swansea that Treorchy had not only gone down by a mere two points to Neath the previous week, but showed that now they were up in the senior school they were not going to be bullied by those who may be regarded as senior prefects.

In the event, however, Treorchy, fell to Swansea's greater composure and particularly to the devastating play of the outside-half Aled Williams who scored all the points including two tremendous tries.

It took Swansea exactly 19 seconds, however, to put them in their place when from the kick-off Iwan Jones stood off a ruck and set up another from which Williams took off down the blind side, beating four men in the 30-yard dash for the line. There followed an exchange of penalty goals by David Evans and Williams before Swansea scored the most critical try, which began with a counter-attack from Tony Clement, and involved Williams, Garin Jenkins and Roddy Boobyer before Williams scored. Further penalty goals by Evans and Williams made it 18-6 at half-time.

After another exchange of penalties by Evans and Williams Treorchy began to put Swansea under pressure and scored a fine try by their hooker Lloyd Gilbey, converted by Luc Evans. For Swansea it had been all too close for comfort.

Scorers: Tries: A Williams (19 secs, 18 mins), L Gilbey (65 mins); Conversions: Williams, L Evans Penalty goals: D Evans (5 mins, 26 mins, 47 mins); Penalties: Williams (6 mins, 27 mins, 62 mins).

Swansea: A Clement (capt); W Leach, R Boobyer, D Weatherley, S Marshall; A Williams, R Jones; I Buckett, G Jenkins, K Colclough, R Moriarty, M Evans, R Appleyard, S Moore, I Jones.

Treorchy: L Evans; D Hughes, D St John, K Orrell (capt), A Lewis; D Evans, C Bridges; I Dibble, L Gilbey, M Powell, A Colliers, A Gwilym, J Derrick, O Lloyd, L Jones.

Referee: C Thomas.